Method of producing articles of jewelry.



C. A. MEALY 81: R. L. PA ROELL. METHOD OF PRODUCING ARTIQLES OF JEWELRY.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR. 31, 1910.

Patented Aug. 1, 1911.

trio.

CHARLES A. MEALY AND RUSSELL L. PABOELL, 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

METHOD OF PRODUCING ARTICLES OF JEWELRY.

at all whom it may concern:

Be it known that We, CHARLES A. MEALY and RnssnLL L. PARGELL, citizens of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Producing Articles of Jewelry, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved method of producing articles of jewelry.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved process of securing together irregularly-shaped metal particles to produce ornamental ewelry and to improve the color effects on such articles, and a further object is to provide an improved process of assembling and permanently fusing together metal particles of irregular shapes without destroying such irregularities.

The invention is illustrated in the drawing in which,-

Figure 1 shows the first step in the process of converting the molten metal into irregularly-shaped particles. Fig. 2 illustrates that step involving the application of heat to a group of assembled particles, and Fig. 3, shows a complete article produced as the result of the process.

It is well known that if a metal, such as gold or silver is brought to a molten condition it may readily be converted into irregularly-shaped solid particles by subjecting small drops or quantities thereof to a sudden and severe change of temperature, such for example as by pouring it into a bath of liquid or water, the sudden change of temperature in this instance serving to'effect a bursting, exploding or popping, which chills and causes the metal to solidify and take various irregular shapes, forms and sizes.

In the drawing the numeral, 1, designates a ladle containing a molten metal, 2, which is being poured by drops, 3, into a receptacle, 4. containing a liquid, 5, and in which the solidified irregularly-shaped particles, 6, are shown.

Our invention contemplates utilizing the irregularly-shaped metal particles, produced as above described or otherwise, by assembling said particles until the combined particles thus assembled form an area, size or shape substantially such as the complete article is to have,-the particles being arranged loosely in contact with each other Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 31, 1910.

Patented Aug. 1, 1911.

Serial No. 552,721.

and preferably without the interposition of a solder between their contact points as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing. At this stage of manufacture, the metal particles will merely be assembled in a loose disconnected contact and one particle need not be attached before another loose particle is added to the group of particles.

A suitable fluxing agent is applied or distributed over the group of assembled particles; borax in a liquid or powdered form being suitable for this purpose, and the group of particles is then subjected to a heating agency such as a blast, 7, produced through the aid of a burner, 8, and blow pipe, 9, that will cause the contacting edges of all the particles to substantially simultaneously fuse or unite. This fusion by heat must be conducted with care or the particles will merely melt down and run together. This is to be avoided if the irregular shapes with the points and cavities are to be maintained, and to do this, merely suflicient heat is applied to the particles to effect a union by fusion of the contact points between the particles and without breaking down the entire body of said particles, thus all the loose particles may be substantially simultaneously joined.

By maintaining a shape to the particles during the uniting thereof, the points and cavities will remain, and the surfaces of the cavities being out of direct act-ion of the heat will be somewhat shielded, while the high parts, such as the points will be more exposed, consequently a color is imparted to the article that varies materially between the high and low parts or surfaces that produces an ornamentation such as has not heretofore been produced in the art in so far as we are aware.

The particular manner of applying heat to the group of particles may vary but in our experience the best results have been obtained by means of a blast that permits a flame of intense heat to be directed at the particular locations where the unions by fusion are to take place.

We have also discovered that after a group of irregularly-shaped metal particles have been united in the first instance by fusion that their high, low and intermediate points may be variously colored and shaded with permanency by successive applications of heat ofless intensity however, than would cause the metal of the article to change its shape or form. These successive heatings are found to create a greater variation between the colors of the surfaces in the cavities or low places and the more exposed sur-' faces of the high spots or points,the color effects being lighter at the high points than in the low spots and very artistic effects are thus produced.

We have also found in practice that the colors imparted to the metals vary materially from light blue, green, yellow, brown, red and pink to dark shades of the same colors and even black in some instances. It is to be understood however, that the particular colors and shades are not essential features of our invention and the latter is not to be restricted in this respect.

We have found in practicing the invention that not only may gold and silver be united and colored as above described but that other metals are susceptible to coloring as explained, such for example, as copper, brass, German silver and nickel, without first subjecting the surfaces thereof to other processes or treatment.

We have also found that very striking effects and colorings are produced by assembling particles of a 'plurality'of metals and fusing them together, and in some instances after a number of silver particles have been united and colored, we have 'distributed over the article at desirable points, small particles of other metals and fused the latter to the former with telling artistic results. After the article has been produced and colored it may be provided with suitable undercuts or recesses 10 to receive stones.

Having thus described our invention what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1. The method of producing ornament-a1 metal foundationsfor articles of jewelry comprising the reduction of the metal to a molten condition, subjecting portions of the molten metal to a sudden change of temperature to solidify it into irregularly-shaped particles having high points and recesses, grouping a plurality of the irregular particles and heating the contacting portions thereof to cause them to fuse while maintaining original irregularities therein.

2. The method of producing ornamental metal for articles of jewelry comprising the grouping of irregularly-shaped metal particles and heating the contacting portions thereof sufliciently to cause them to fuse While maintaining the irregular shapes of said particles and again heating the fusedtogether metal particles while maintaining their substantial shape to effect a coloring of the surfaces thereof.

3. The method of producing ornamental metal for articles of jewelry comprising the reduction of the metal to a molten condition and then solidifying portions thereof into irregularly-shaped particles to produce high points and cavities therein and then reheating the said irregularly-shaped particles to effect a coloring thereof while maintaining substantially the original shape of the particles.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES A. MEALY.

RUSSELL L. PAROELL.

Witnesses:

JOHN W. HEwEs, G. FERDINAND VoGT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

